Will He be the End She Wants?
by RennyRose
Summary: Tsukie's life was once so simple and full of happiness. But now that that's gone, can she move on and find happiness with someone that despises her kind? Or will he fulfill her ultimate wish? Death? (I do not own any of the Inuyasha or Mermaid Saga Characters. I only own my OCs)
1. Chapter 1: The Girl and Boy Who Survived

Waves crashed against the sand, spraying anyone close to the shore. Fishermen pulled on nets full of fish, happily chattering with one another about their home lives. They varied in ages, some in their mid-teens, others their late sixties, and every age in-between.

"How's 'at twin of yours', Tsukie, doin', Shun?" One of the more elderly men asked of a boy coming close to his seventeenth birthday.

"She's doing well. It's a shame no one wants to marry her, though. I could get her off of my back so much faster!" The boy chuckled, as did his work companions. He was fairly tall for his age, easily capable of looking over all of his fellow villagers' heads. His shoulder length, dark brown hair was pulled back into a small ponytail at the nape of his neck, but pieces that were too short to go fell into his face. The healthy tan of his skin and hardened muscles a result of his hard work in the summer sun, left him looking much more alive than the aforementioned sister.

"I see. Then I suppose you don't want your lunch for today, dear brother." A pale girl with hair the same hue as the boys, only much longer murmured coldly behind him. The boy reacted by freezing, mutter a quiet curse under his breath, and turning slowly to peer down into eyes the color of the ocean, an almost mirror image of his own, or so he'd been told. The girl was every bit as feminine as the boy was masculine.

The two were a sight to behold. Their bone structures were very similar, but on complete opposites of the spectrum. The boy had more angular features, while the girls were more rounded and soft. Though, where the boy was thin from hard labor, the girl was skeletal from sacrificing her meals to the boy so he and their family would be strong enough to work. Or what there was of it. Shortly after their youngest sister, Umie, had been born, their father was called to fight in the wars. Their mother worked in the rice fields with their other sister Sora, while Shun went fishing and Tsukie stayed home, taking care of the youngest children and the home. It was how she managed to hide the fact that she did not eat. Umie and Hirota didn't pay attention to her unless they were hungry or wanted her to play with them and the others were away all day. She figured, with one less mouth eating the more for the rest of those she loved.

"Ah, Tsukie! Why are you here?" The boy asked dumbfounded. He didn't even seem to notice the two children clinging to her legs or the small bundle of leaves which held his lunch.

The girl giggled, holding the small package up to her older brother of five moments. "The sun is at its highest, dear brother. Hirota and Umie were starting to get restless." As the young girl spoke, several other women of their village began to arrive to give their husbands their own lunches. The men quickly finished pulling in their catch and quickly dispersed with the various women to different areas of the beach.

The four siblings quickly made their way along the shore to a quiet area surrounded by ocean and rocks. A strangely safe place considering many a sailor had wrecked their boats upon the sharp rocks.

"Tsukie, I want you to start being careful. I heard from some of the warriors passing through the village that demons are popping up everywhere, attacking villages and stealing young maidens and children for their supper. Granted, you're far too boney for their tastes, I bet." The boy chuckled, trying to bring a smile to his fragile sister. He knew she purposely skipped meals so the rest of their little family could eat more. He didn't agree with it, but he appreciated it, because he knew that she thought it was the only way she could show she cared for them.

"I had heard that to. I'm more concerned about those warriors though. I've seen them leering at many of the girls in the village. I don't like it, Shun." She smiled up at him sadly, carefully untying the small bundle to reveal four balls of rice. The delicate girl carefully passed out the small treasures, one to each of her siblings, then half of one for herself and the other half to her twin brother.

"I'm being serious, here! I don't think I could go on if you, or any of the others, were gone." The boy looked at her, worry quickly filling his features. "I also heard that there's a demon lord fighting off other demons." He whispered, as if the mere mention of him would cause the demon to appear.

"That's no surprise. Demons often fight one another. But, since we are on the subject of demons, did you hear about the priestess that's coming? She's supposedly very strong. She's so powerful that she can exercise almost a hundred demons at once!" The girl chuckled at the look on her brother's face. He almost looked like a squashed bug with his eyes that wide. "Shun, I'm sure everything will be fine. Soon, father will be home and we can start to get our family closer to how it used to be."

The boy looked at her skeptically, but smiled. He refused to make her worry, despite his playful teasing. He'd miss her if she were to go off and get married. "If you say so. I have to get back to work. You guys stay safe on your way home, alright?" The three nodded, though the younger children mostly did so to copy their older sister.

The girl watched her brother's back as he left, wondering if he knew just how worried she really was. She knew much more than anyone in their home did. Several weeks ago, one of the soldiers passing through the village had sought out their house. He had news of their father. The man had told her that the man of their household had perished in battle. A great moth demon had completely destroyed his battalion. There had been no survivors. For many hours, the girl had felt numb, going through the motions, as if nothing was wrong. Then days later, on one of the few instances where she found herself completely alone, the tears came. Body-wracking sobs threw her on the ground, screaming to the point that her throat had become raw. Once that had passed, she was once again solemn, coming up with ways to break the news to her family. She had quickly realized, she should have told them that day, but how could she. The moment her mother would walk through the door, she would look at her second oldest daughter with a smile, and a bright twinkle of hope in her beautiful eyes. And she knew that she could never extinguish that light in her mother's eyes. She refused to be the one to do it.

With a deep breathe, the girl stood, holding both of her hands out to the children to take. She carefully led them around the rocks and sandy slopes, towards the northern most edge of the forest, humming just loud enough to calm her tiny siblings. Their village was a strange one, or so she had been told by many a traveler. Never had they seen a forest so close to a shoreline, nor a village so carefully interwoven. The girl calmly passed through the trees, twisting easily around them with practiced movements the young ones had yet to learn. All around the three was movement.

There were men and women, nestled among the trees, selling produce and the like, or offering trades. They would all call out, endorsing their own, but they would quiet as they saw her and the children, probably for good reason. She was after all, almost a living skeleton. But, she knew that it was more so that they could hear her humming. She couldn't count how often she was told that her voice had calmed many a villager. Or maybe, somehow, they knew she was hiding a secret.

And as soon as she exited the market place, the sound of merchants quickly resumed, almost as if she hadn't passed through at all. Soon, began to walk by little homes built amongst the trees, every now and then she would see children running about, tripping over each other and the roots of trees. It made her smile, knowing that someday, her own brother and sister would join in the play, and begin to learn how to avoid falling.

The further she walked, the harder it became for her to breathe, so she held the two youngsters back for a moment, pressing against a nearby tree trunk. "Thank you, tree spirit, for allowing this humble human to lean against you." She muttered quietly, praying even quieter she would have the strength to keep going. "May I be as strong as you, some day?"

It took her only a little longer to get the children to their home, a small shack that the six of them shared. "Now, Hirota, Umie. It is time for you two to take your nap. Will you cooperate and rest for me, so that I can go and get the water we need for dinner?"

The two little ones looked up at her almost blankly. They were indeed tired, but they didn't want their sister to leave their side. Her smile instantly calmed them, which she knew. The girl picked up the two children, struggling only slightly. They clung to her loose kimono, their heads pressed to her shoulders. A smile crossed all of their lips, hers because of how much she loved these darling little miracles and theirs because they enjoyed the warmth and comfort she provided them. She laid the two on the softest bedding their house had to offer and covered them with one of the kimono they had reserved just for the two. They now clung to one another as the girl hummed them a lullaby she remembered her mother singing to her once. In mere moments, the two were sleeping deeply.

"Sleep well my little ocean and rice field." For all her family had been through, she hoped that one day, she could make the lives of these two, a million times better.

Quietly, she began to make her way out of the room; the children would be asleep for hours, which gave her plenty of time to go get a pail or two of water without having to worry about their safety. The girl grabbed the bucket that her mother usually used to get the water. With one last look at the children, mostly to make sure they were still fast asleep, she left the small hut, turning towards the north once more, to make her way towards the small, nearby river. It took the girl an hour to get the first bucket of water from the body of water to her cozy little home. She easily filled the large pot that hung in the middle of the room over their small fire pit, with the water she gathered, and covered it to keep it fresh for when she would make the family's meal later. The girl left once more and returned in half the time. She left the pail full of water next to the pot. She checked on the children one last time before grabbing a small basket. They would need herbs, she knew; to make the plain meal they would have, have flavor.

The girl confidently made her way through the trees, right back to the river. She stifled the terror that started to grow in her stomach. The chief of their village had forbidden everyone from crossing the body of water. A good twenty strides from the other shore were some of the best herbs that one could find just about anywhere. But, there were also demons. There was never anyone on guard to make sure the villagers stayed away, there was no need. The people she'd come to know, were all kind, peaceful people. Even with the wars raging throughout the land, everyone remained kind and gentle.

"Well, better get this over with as quickly as possible…" She muttered to herself, asking the trees to once again grant her strength. Her fragile body quickly fell into the cool water, leaving her sighing in bliss. Today had been especially warm, and it did not do her constitution well. The delicate child waded through the water, carefully searching for any footfalls in the river bank. She found none, and emerged from the water, drenched from the waist down. Silently, she made her way through the forbidden wood, her gaze flickering to the canopy to watch for wildlife, demons, and the time of day. She would have to make this fast.

She kept too watchful an eye on the world above her that she forgot to pay attention to the one below her. Her foot caught on something, most likely a root that had grown out of the ground, and she was sent flying. Or, rather, falling. She was quickly rolling down a hill, smacking into several sharp rocks and logs. Once her body came to a stop, her vision blurred, leaving her in darkness.

The young man pulled in what felt like his hundredth net of fish. He would need to take a break soon. After the small group settled the masses of fish into place, they all decided that it was indeed, time for everyone to catch their breath. This was fine with the boy, only he wouldn't be lying about.

He wandered off in the opposite direction from where he and his younger siblings had eaten lunch. That was a special place just for the four of them. He lifted his arms as high into the sky as he could get them, the joined his hands together on the back of his head. The boy was almost a good five hundred yards away from the small group of fishermen when he saw it.

Lying there on the sand was what looked like a human-sized fish. He could feel his mouth starting to water. Despite the abundance of fish he and his comrades caught, their entire villages had little to show for it. Soldier would come through and leave the entire village with almost nothing to eat. Every time he saw a soldier, he silently blamed them for his sister's worsening state, blamed them for everything. But, now, he could bring home the meat of this fish and tonight, even his twin, whom he loved so dearly, almost obsessively, could eat as well tonight.

The boy pulled a large cloth from the inside of his yukata and the small blade he used to cut lengths of rope. He looked back and forth, then up into the bright blue sky. It would be time for everyone working the shore and the fields to go home for the day. And he could share this treasure with the ones he loved most.

The girl awoke slowly, still fairly dizzy from all the rolling and sore from hitting so many objects on her way down. One of her hands rested on the side of her head as her awareness of her surroundings quickly began to take shape. She was in a large field of herbs. And not just one or two kinds, it looked like hundreds. When she looked up, the sky was still bright blue, which she took as a good sign; she hadn't been knocked out for too long. Within moments, she began to gather the herbs she desired, a gently smile playing over her lips as she began to hum quietly into the silent clearing.

But, then, it wasn't as silent as she had thought.

"Who is this human child that dares to enter my garden without permission?" A soothingly deep voice booms. The girl could feel her heart stop for a few seconds at the sound of the voice, a new sense of horror filling her stomach. Now she knew why it was forbidden to come to this side of the river. There really were demons.

She stayed still for a long time, the sound of heavy footfalls echoed around her as the monster made its way towards her. 20 strides, 15, 10, she counted. With the most strength she's had in a long while, the girl jolted into action, carefully cupping the small basket to her chest as she ran, fighting against the aches in her body as she climbed the steep hill as quickly as her tired body could manage. But, she wasn't fast enough.

As soon as she got to the top of the hill, an overwhelming force sent her body into a tree in front of her and the basket of herbs tumbling to the ground. Her delicate frame was trapped between a warm body and a cool, strong giver of life, fragile arms pressing against her chest to keep her from further scratches. Tears burned at the corners of her eyes as she began to realize, her brother had been right. She should have stayed safe, never have crossed the river. Now, she would never see her mother, brothers or sisters again.

Two strong hands grabbed her shoulders and quickly spun her around, pressing her back roughly against the tree trunk. A quiet whimper escaped her throat, and the tears quickly began to fall down her cheeks.

"My, my. What a beauty. And to think, you wandered into my territory without any care in the world." The deep, soothing voice chuckled. The girl's eyes slowly opened and her breath caught in her chest. The demon looked, for the most part, human. His hair was long and shone like silk that had been dyed to a sea green hue. His eyes were a dark blue, like that of the ocean in an angry storm. There were long red marks on either side of his delicate, nearly feminine features. And his robes were more extravagant than any of the lords the girl had seen wandering through the small, hidden village. As the girl stared in awe of the creature's beauty, she momentarily forgot all of her fears.

The creature smirked, a slight tug of sea green hued lips, and slowly began to make his decent on the prey that had wandered into his clutches. He would most definitely eat this delicate little morsel, despite her lithe build, but by all the circles of hell, he wasn't going to just let such a beautiful face leave this world without having a little fun with it first. As the girl tensed, the demon felt his smile grow wider at the sight of terror once again filling her eyes. His hands on her shoulders kept her in place, the more she struggled, the tighter his grip would become. It was only a matter of seconds before his lips crashed down upon the girls. Her eyes went impossibly wide, and her tiny little hands pressed against his chest, feeble attempts at pushing him away.

The girl fought against the demon as much as she could, which wasn't much considering the immense difference in the two's individuals strength. She would be lucky if she were to die quickly. She could feel a slight lifting of weight on her shoulders, thinking this could be her only chance to see her loved ones, the girl tried to make a break for freedom, only for the beast to quickly pull her closer to himself, and tugging the loose kimono she wore down to her elbows, leaving her completely exposed to him. As the cool air hit her suddenly naked flesh, a shiver ran up along her spine, and a gasp parted her lips, which the demon used as an invitation to let his tongue slither into the fragile girl's mouth, where it began to mingle with her own and bring yet another gasp from her.

The demon could feel the young woman trembling, could see the horror and fear in her eyes. It sent a thrill through his body, knowing that this girl truly feared him, and for good reason. The beast slowly moved down to the girl's jaw, flicking his tongue lightly against her flesh. She tasted of the sea and herbs, a combination of flavors he quite enjoyed. Once the girl's lips were freed, she began to breathe quicker, whimpering pathetic protests as he continued his journey downwards to her bared flesh.

"Release the girl, Umi no mono." A new voice rang around the pair, causing them both to freeze where they were. They both turned their attention towards a figure that emerged from the shadows. He wore a white hakama with a white kimono with a couple of indigo stripes at his shoulders. The vambraces, pauldron, boots and gauntlets all appeared to be from a distant land, along with the sash around his waist. It clashed so greatly against the rest that the girl could do little but stare. Then, there was his other worldly beauty. Long, flowing silver hair pulled into a high ponytail, and from what the girl could see, there was fur flowing down his back. Indigo slashes led to lips that barely covered sharp fangs. Golden orbs glared towards the creature at her collarbone. Then the girl let her eyes travel to his waist where two blades rested in wait, while the hilt to a third blade stood over his shoulder. That one in particular gave an especially strong aura of evil.

There was something the girl had never told anyone. She could see how someone would die, long before it would happen. It wouldn't be everyone and it wasn't anything more than a quick flash around the person. She held her breath for a moment as a quick flash of flames suddenly surrounded the demon walking towards her. "I said, release the girl." The creature growled, much like a dog would.

"And should I refuse?" The beast at her chest retorted, wrapping his arms tightly around the young human, pulling her closer like a shield. As he held her there, he slowly began to bite down on the flesh of her collarbone. The girl tried to scream out, but it only came out as a quiet whimper.

"You know the answer to that, you foul thing." The elegant creature answered and within moments, was pulling the green-hued being off of her, while at the same time pulling her in against his side. In hopes of saving some of her own dignity, she wrapped her arms across her chest. The girl looked up at the beautifully masculine male that held her, awe completely taking over the terror that had filled her.

"You damned dog! She is my prey!" The demon of green shouted, his nails becoming extraordinarily long.

The young girl looked back and forth between the two demons, one with long, sharp nails, and one with eyes that were once a lovely molten gold, she knew she had to do something. The girl chewed at her lower lip for a moment, and then quickly sprang into action. She pulled away from the, what she assumed was a Dog demon and moved between the two, arms wide apart as if she were protecting one or the other. "D...Don't fight!" She stuttered. "It won't accomplish anything." She muttered.

She couldn't see it, but the demon behind her gave her a look of amazement. He'd seen many humans, but none brave enough to jump between two demons of such power about to battle, especially when they were of the fairer sex in such a state of dress.

The other demon was not quite as impressed, though he was enjoying the view of the girl. Thin as she was, she was definitely well endowed. Any other time, he might consider not killing her and bedding her, maybe even make her his mate for what time she'd have on this earth. She would make a fine partner, even if she would be gone as soon as she came. But, she had trespassed and he refused to grant pardon for such an offense. His eyes quickly caught attention to a small trickle of red on her delicate flesh and he couldn't stop the smirk that quickly over took his features.

"Girl, you came for herbs, didn't you? Take them and leave. Should you ever return, expect a fate much worse than death." The demon turned on his heel and disappeared into the thicket of trees, leaving the girl shaking so terribly that her knees gave out and she fell to the ground.

The second demon slowly made his way over to the young girl and kneeled down next to her. "Are you alright?" His lowered voice whispered next to her ear. The demon gently pulled the girl's kimono back up around her, when he noticed it. He silently cursed under his breath. How hadn't he noticed him marking her? "He was right. Should you return, he'll have to bed you." He continued.

She looked up at him confused. Though that confusion quickly turned to embarrassment and fear as the demon picked her up, making sure she had her tiny basket, and began running faster than anything she had ever witnessed, and then suddenly they were airborne. The girl was more than tempted to scream, but instead just clung to the male demon's chest with her eyes closed as tightly as possible.

The dog demon looked down at the fragile creature, then back to the small mark on her collarbone. It was bleeding quite a bit. It must have happened when he pulled her away from that pathetic sea creature. He gently landed on the river bank across from the territory of that green creature, where he assumed she had come from. "Young lady, I suggest you stay far away from that garden. I apologize for what I'm about to do." The dog told her in a matter of fact tone, before leaning down to her chest and licking the blood gently off of her. The closer he got to the small wound, the lighter the pressure of his tongue against her skin was. His hands tightly gripped her fragile forearms, keeping her in place as he continued to lick the wound much as a dog would.

The girl trembled in his grasp, heat filling her cheeks and the pit of her stomach. She was biting at her lower lip, her shaking hands moving to pull at the demon's arms in an attempt to free herself from his grasp. When she couldn't hold it in any longer, a quiet moan escaped from deep within her throat only to be followed by panting. She couldn't help herself, her flesh was extremely sensitive, but she knew that to the demon, it was nothing more than a way to feed himself. She was saved from one demon, only to end up another's dinner.

The beast in question soon looked up at her, a smirk playing over his lips as pride quickly clouded his mind. No other demon he knew of, alive or dead, could make a woman enjoy herself as much as he could, much less while they were basically being eaten alive. He pulled away, giving the lithe child of man, whom had fallen to the ground, unable to hold her own body up, a moment's respite. The sea beast had been right; the girl really was a beauty, even for a human. Perhaps he would play with her when she was a little older. His mate wouldn't mind, after all, it wouldn't mean anything, not to mention, it would probably kill the poor girl. He leaned down, quickly fixing her kimono so that it was no longer hanging off of her delicate frame.

"Go home and remember, don't go off on your own to places known for demons." He leaned down, gently running a hand through her surprisingly silky hair. He smiled gently at the girl, who looked up at him with her cheeks flushed and her fragile little body shaking in anticipation and excitement, at least according to his nose. The girl nodded so gently it was barely perceptible as she quickly gathered herself together and the small basket of herbs she had gathered, and began to run off towards the small village he smelled nearby. It smelled interesting. Salty like the ocean, yet fresh like the forest. And the amount of humans living among the trees without having cut down more than a few was rather impressive. He smiled to himself one last time before jumping back across the river, there was no need for him to stay, he had the girl's scent , should he ever wish to hunt her down for some fun.

The girl quickly shoved the door open, sliding it gently shut behind her to keep out anything that could have possibly followed her while also trying to not wake the children. Though, from what she could hear, they were already up. A smile quickly overtook her features, as she placed the small basket of herbs next to the fire pit she made her way to the room where the two children were calling out for her. She spent the rest of the afternoon playing with the two children, occasionally checking the small wound on her collarbone. Whenever she would look at it, her cheeks would flush and she would tremble at the sudden waves of heat that over took her.

It didn't take her mother and sister long to show up. And even less for her sister to catch on to the odd behavior of her younger sister.

"Mother, I'm taking Tsukie for a walk, we'll be back for her to start dinner soon!" Her sister had called to their mother. They wandered through their small village; until they came to a small clearing that none of the other villagers either knew about or came to. "What happened, Tsukie? You've been jumpy and flustered ever since Mother and I got home." The girl hadn't expected so direct a question, in fact she had thought she'd been doing a good job of acting as she normally did.

"Oh, Sora, how did you know? If I tell you, you can't tell anyone. Especially mother." The girl looked down at the ground, her arms crossing across her stomach in an attempt to suppress the sudden churning of her stomach.

The older girl chuckled, sitting down next to her with a sad smile. "If it's about father, I already know. I think Mother does too, though she doesn't want us to worry about her."

The girl looked up at her sister, a slight frown forming over her features. "I see. But, that's not it." She shuddered, her body trembling at the memory. "I crossed the river and picked some herbs."

For a moment, her sister stared at her blankly, and then began to laugh furiously, even falling over as if it was just a bad joke.

"Stop laughing, I'm being serious!" She furiously shook her head. "I can prove it! I was attacked by a demon and saved by another!"

"Tsukie," her sister chuckled, looking at her sister as if she had lost her mind. "First of all, demons don't save humans, especially from other demons. Second, if you had crossed the river, your clothes would be soaked." The older girl sat up, bringing her knees to her chest as if she were afraid that perhaps her sister was telling the truth. Because, if she was, that meant the whole village was now in danger.

The girl glared at her sister, her entire body shaking furiously at the disbelief that her sister seemed to have for her story. Without any warning, the girl pulled her kimono open enough to show off her shoulders and collarbones. The small wound was red and bruised, as if someone had suckled on the flesh, but the hole was there, proving her story true, which stopped the older girl in her tracks, eyes impossibly wide. She knew that if the rest of the village heard of this, her baby sister would be exiled. Not only had she disobeyed the laws put in place by the chief, she had been marked as the mate of a demon. Of course, she knew that the younger girl didn't understand what that meant. If the Chief found out, he would have her punished, then thrown into the Garden of the Sea Beast.

"Tsukie, don't show that to anyone else. And don't tell anyone of your trip." The older girl commanded, quickly fixing the girl's kimono. She hugged her little sister close, fear beginning to surge through her for the young girl.

They quickly made their way back, Sora watching the villagers as they ran along. Did they already know that her little sister had been defiled? Had she been defiled? That was the only reason demons marked humans without killing them, and if it were a mark for death, it would be somewhere the demon could easily see when searching for her. But, hadn't her sister said there'd been two demons? Was one going to hunt her down to mate while the other to kill?

"Hey, Sora! Tsukie! What are you guys doing running around the village? Were you coming to get me only to get lost?" A masculine voice called out to them as their brother ran up, wrapping his arms around their shoulders.

Sora was the one to answer. "Tsukie and I just needed some fresh air."

The three quickly made it back to the small hut they lived in where they dispersed into their own individual jobs. Sora took care of getting the fire started while Shun began to take care of the children. The small, fragile girl began to prepare dinner. It wasn't until the boy smelled the smoke that he remembered the flesh he had found earlier that day. He quickly ran to his sister, two children clinging to his calves, attempting to slow him down and keep him where they wanted.

"Tsukie, I found something today. Do you think you could cook it up for everyone?" He inquired of his twin sister. He knew she could, she was incredible when it came to the culinary arts, not that he'd ever admit it to anyone. He carefully pulled out the cloth full of the strange fish meat he had found; it was big enough that each member of the family would not go hungry tonight.

The girl eyed the cloth wrapped bundle suspiciously; she'd be amazed if it wasn't half-rotten by now. She took the small bag of clothed meat, skeptical on whether she could use it or not. When she set the bundle down, and carefully untied it, she was pleasantly surprised that the meat was more than fresh; it looked as if it were still alive and could start moving at any moment. "I certainly can, dear brother." The girl chuckled, quickly setting to work. Her brother had sliced off a giant chunk of whatever beast he had found, cleaned, and scaled it long before he had brought it home, making her job fairly easy. The girl carefully sliced the flesh into proportions equal to what those in the house needed to have their hunger satisfied. The two youngest would have less than the four occupants. Her elder brother would have the largest portion, since he had a fairly laborious occupation, her mother and elder sister would get the next largest portions, and finally, she herself would get a serving between the children and the others.

It did not take long for the smell to permeate their small home and the girl could see the longing on her family's faces. She was glad now, that she had gone to the other side of the river. The herbs she had risked her life for were perfect for the meat her brother had found. It almost seemed like fate had intervened to make sure this meal happened. Perhaps, their lives were going to get closer to the way they used to be. The thought brought a smile to the girl's saddened face, because she knew, that there was no way for their little family to ever get completely back to the way it used to be.

Soon, the small family was gathered around the small pit of fire which now provided them with warmth instead of a way to cook their meal. Their mother, now head of the household, said a quick thanks to the Gods for providing their small family with such a blessing.

"Shun, since you are the one who found this gracious bounty, why don't you be the first to give it a try?" She had said, beaming proudly at her oldest son.

"I think, the one who prepared this wonderful meal should be the one to take the first bite," the boy replied, a kind smile quickly passing over his features, though the girl thought she could see a bit of worry just around his eyes.

"How about a compromise?" Sora quickly declared, seeing her younger sister about to protest. "Why don't you both take a bite at the same time?"

The twins looked at her with matching stares, they knew it was a great compromise and that arguing with the girl would most likely get them nowhere. So, in answer, the two looked at each other before they did basically as they were told. And once again, you could see how different they were, despite the fact that they were almost the same person. The boy ate in a more brutish manner than the girl, whose movements just to eat the piece of flesh in her bowl, were as graceful as any princess in the land.

The girl's eyes widened at the same time the boy's did. They looked at each other, as if conversing with nothing but subtle eye movements, about the thoughts they had on what they had just eaten. The boy found it beyond delicious; after all, his sister could make anything taste good. The girl found it a bit bland, but other than that, it was pretty good. Within moments, the two exclaimed that it was perfectly cooked; the rest of the family began to dig in.

Their family quickly ate their rice, then began to daintily pick at the meat, or in the case of the children, pick it up with their tiny hands and shoving those handfuls into their little mouths. That's when everything started to go wrong.

Umie, the youngest, began to cough. But, it was more than just a cough; she had begun to spit up blood. The girl looked at her with a start, quickly moving to hug the child to her, patting her back to get her to stop. She assumed that she or her brother had missed a couple of tiny bones that had cut the girls throat as it went down. Except, Hirota started to scream in pain. She pulled the boy to her as well, her free hand on his shoulder to give him a gentle movement to bring his attention to her. His eyes began to bulge, and she was afraid that he was suffocating on one of those pesky bones she'd missed. Until her mother fell over with a heavy thump.

The boy quickly moved over to the fallen woman, terror filling his features as he tried to awaken her. Then, as he was shaking the woman, who had stopped breathing long before she'd hit the floor, a low moan of pain began next to him. Sora was hunched over, hands on her throat and stomach as if something was causing her great pain.

"Shun!" The boy's twin called out to him, her voice full of sadness and fear. "Shun, they're…!" He could hear the urgency in her voice. When he looked over to her, she was reaching two of her fingers into the mouths of their youngest siblings, trying to make them throw something up.

"You keep trying to help them!" He shouted back to her, moving away from his fallen mother to his aching sister. He ran one of his hands along her back, but something was wrong. Her back was trembling and shaking, but it was more than that. It moved under his hand, and became lumpier as well as bigger. Her hair had gone from a brown barely lighter than his own locks, to snow white. And the flesh of her neck had begun to darken and bruise to a shining purple.

From across the room, he heard sobbing. But only sobbing. There were no more boyish screams of pain or coughing. And a groan from right in front of him. He slowly returned his attention to his oldest sister, afraid that she, too, would be as dead as their mother and the children.

His eyes connected with those of a grotesque ogre and for the briefest of moments, he wondered if this was what all demons looked like. The moment lasted only seconds, and then the boy was sent flying. He'd been hit with so much force that his body smashed through the wall of their small home, then all was black and his breathing stopped.

The girl heard the sound over her own sobbing. She still held her little brother and sister as close as she could to her body, as if just keeping them against her would help bring them back. Her eyes wandered to the giant hole in the wall and then towards the giant beast that wore her sister's kimono. She stared up in horror as the thing came closer and closer. Her arms tightened around the children in her arms and new tears began to flow down her face as the creature quickly brought its large hand down against her skull. A terrible crack vibrated through her entire being as she slowly fell to the side, still holding the bodies of her little brother and sister.

She hadn't died instantly. She could still see the beast, still hear it shriek, still smell it as it wreaked havoc on the small hut that they had all called home. Soon it left, leaving behind it, a quickly crumbling building and the beginnings of a raging fire. The girl, close as she was to death, slowly began to crawl away from where she had fallen, somehow carrying the bodies of the children along with her. Inch by grueling inch, she came closer and closer to at least getting the two children out of further harms' way. Somehow, in her delirious state, she believed the two to still be alive. Then, just when she could see the bright rays of hope, the sound of shattering wood exploded over her and she was crushed under a large beam that had once held the roof in place.

Flames quickly overtook the small hut, leaving the girl with no hope, and that was the last thing she thought. Her eyes closed for the last time and as if she could shield the two children from death, she continued to hold them well after her last breath left her lungs.

And as the twins' corpses lay there, the beast that was once their sister tore apart their little village. Homes were left in pieces. Men, women, and children were left dead in her wake. Flames quickly rose from each destroyed home. The trees around the village quickly caught the flames and by the time morning rolled around, there was nothing left of the tiny town of humans, but ashes and bodies.


	2. Chapter 2: I'm Alive?

I hear voices echoing around me, almost like there are people speaking far away from me. I can feel my mind quickly swimming back to consciousness, as if awakening from a long sleep. Whoever the people speaking are, they're extremely loud. My mind spins, making my stomach churn as if I had eaten something rotten. One of the voices booms loudly, in a strangely familiar way. Could I have heard it recently? It's deep, smooth, more than a little soothing, and most definitely male.

"You can't kill her. She's already dead!" He practically growls. Who's dead? What is he talking about?

"Then why did you bring her to our palace? Are you going to bring her back, have your way, and then kill her again?" A more feminine voice shouts, quickly coming closer and closer. I have yet to open my eyes, but I can already tell that this woman is probably beyond beautiful. "I may not have the affinity you do for humans, but that's cruel even for the more cold-blooded of our kind." She quickly adds, now hovering above me as if she were analyzing me as more than just a stranger. "I will admit, she holds a beauty one could compare to our own."

"I would not kill her again; I would release her to her own people. Perhaps she will find someone to heal the heart that I will have to break once I return her to the living." The male voice quickly states, making its own way over to make sure the female doesn't do something cruel.

"There will be no need for that blade." She states in a simple tone.

"What do you mean?" The male questions her. I myself have several questions for the two, but I don't think that moving just yet is such a smart idea. The moment I open my eyes, I know the world will be spinning and there's no way I can keep the contents of my stomach where they are.

"I mean," the woman begins, quickly leaning in so close that her perfume fills my lungs, "she breathes. Her heart beats. She is alive."

"Impossible!" The male shouts, angry disbelief more than evident as he quickly moves closer to the woman and myself. "Her heart did not beat once as I carried her, there was no movement of her breast."

The female carefully places one of her hands underneath my shoulders, slowly lifting me into a sitting position. How she is able to do such a thing, I don't know, but as soon as I am upright, my stomach starts to churn much harsher than I had thought it would. I quickly force myself away from the woman's gentle hands, falling over onto my forearms, heaving. The force in my gut is so strong that I don't understand why nothing comes up and out of my mouth.

I can feel their eyes on me, but I don't care. Normally, I would be bowing to them as a sign of gratitude and respect for caring for me, but the pain going through my body is so terrible that I almost wish I were dead. I figure that the pain in my stomach is somehow related to the throbbing in my head, but the pain in my back and chest is almost comparable to being torn limb from limb by a demon.

"How in the Seven hells…? Girl, you were dead! I haven't even used the Tenseiga on you!" The more masculine voice shouts in confusion. I try to place where I've heard it, but my mind spins faster than a whirlpool and I find it hard to think about anything. I very gently tilt my head to look up and see the demon that had rescued me from certain death. I carefully turn my gaze towards where I think the woman should be to find another demon, silver hair and golden eyes, staring right back at me. For more than a few moments, I am entranced by her otherworldly beauty. Pale flesh to match her hair, which is tied back into two high ponytails with two long locks on either side of her face and a straight line of fringe, a small section is pulled back to leave a small gap in the middle of her forehead, leaving the pale purple crescent moon that resides over her eyes for the world to see. There's a deep maroon hue dusting her eye lids, making the gold seem even brighter. And just under her eyes are a pair of magenta stripes that stretch like tiny lightning bolts towards her lips which are painted a matching hue, and her clothes are every bit as elegant as the male demon's. There's a stripe of teal, quickly covered by a light purple that almost matches the stripes on her cheeks, and from what I can see over the giant white pelt that surrounds her, there are yellow and green butterflies on the cloth.

The woman calmly stares at me, a regal air surrounding her, forcing me think she might be a princess. It almost seems as if she is waiting for me to start groveling for forgiveness for some kind of offense that I don't know of. Though, perhaps I'm just projecting.

"Dear mate, do you not smell it? She is no longer human. At least, not as she was before. No longer does she reek of decay." The woman speaks quietly, almost like she's amazed or curious about just what kind of creature I am, though I personally don't understand, since I'm nothing more than a plain old human. "And if the aura she radiates is of any inclination, she is a priestess. Even, if only barely."

I slowly blink in her direction. I don't understand what she means, but I can't help but notice that it feels like it takes an eternity for my lids to flutter open again, even though it couldn't have been more than a few seconds.

"If it's no trouble," I stare at the two, a small amount of terror quietly bubbling up inside of my chest, "where am I? And where is my family?" I let the words quickly escape my lips, hoping that I'm just having another bad dream, or an addition to the one I had just awoken from.

"Do you have no memory?" The woman inquires, as if I should know exactly what is happening and where I have been spirited away to.

"I have brought you to my palace. I did not think you would enjoy awakening to your surroundings, had I brought you back to life in the remains of your village." The male demon states carefully, as if it is all the explanation needed or I would lose my mind should he blurt everything out at once.

"What do you mean?" I stare, my mind and face a blank. Had he kidnapped me and plan on turning me into something I would very much dislike?

"Your village," his eyes quickly fill with a kind gentleness, as if he knows his next words will tear my soul to pieces. "A beast came through. By the time I smelled it and rushed back to check upon you, the area was nothing but flames. Bodies were strewn everywhere and ash filled the air. I found you next to the river, you smelled of flame, pain and suffering, and yet you looked completely untouched, save for some soot here and there. A young man rushed at me, though the moment he saw I meant no harm, requested I take you far from there. To care for you once you were to awake." He pauses, a quiet chuckle escaping his throat. "I thought he was asking me to bring you back. I suppose he just didn't want you to see the destruction of your home."

I can feel my eyes become wider and wider as he speaks. I turn my gaze towards my hands and clothes. I am covered in soot and ash. Confusion runs through my mind, but somehow, deep in my gut, I know that the demon is telling the truth. Then memories come flooding back and I choke back the tears that threaten to fall.

"Sora…" I quietly whisper to myself. As the tears quickly begin to fall down my cheeks, I know that my dream from before was not truly a dream. It was just my mind trying to help me come to terms with what had happened to my little family. My mother, Umie, and Hirota are dead. I choke out a sob as my heart quickly breaks. And Sora, she had turned into a frightening purple beast. She had hit Shun so hard that he went flying through the wall of our home, most likely killing him. Then she had turned on me, bringing that massive hand down on me. The last thing I can remember is holding my little brother and sister close to myself as I died. Because…

"I…I did die." I whisper, staring at my hands in amazement, fingers curling curiously as I flex them. "Am I still dead? Or did I really come back to life?"

"You are very much alive, human. Though, I don't see how it is even possible." The female demon answers me, as if it is simpler than I think. Except, now her words are no longer as harsh as they had been and there is a gentle smile on her delicate lips. "Did you perhaps eat the flesh of a human or demon, gaining demonic powers to survive? I very much doubt you slew any amount of demons. Or perhaps a god granted you favor." She muses.

"Flesh?" I look at her, a small frown playing across my lips. "My brother did bring home some strange meat he found upon the shore. It kind of looked like fish, only it was larger and tasted a bit different." I answer her, though I don't think she was really looking for an answer. I bring a hand to my lips, lost in thought. Perhaps the flesh had belonged to some kind of demon.

"Flesh of the sea, you say?" The male demon gives me an appraising look, as if I am some kind of painting that had just appeared out of nowhere. "Is there a way to test her, Inukimi? Like in that legend of the fisherman's daughter."

"If you think that is what has happened here, then there is a very simple test." The female demon looks at me for less than a moment before she reaches out at a speed that's too fast for my eyes to catch, taking hold of my wrist and pulling it towards herself with so much strength that there's no way I can fight, and she drags her terrifyingly sharp claws down along the flesh of my arm.

I yelp in pain, pulling my arm easily from her grasp to hold it close to my chest. I stop to assess the damage, only to realize, the pain in my head and back is almost completely gone, while my arm is quickly throbbing. Of course, I don't have too much time to take notice as the male demon is suddenly between myself and the female demon. He stands there, as if he was there from the very beginning instead of suddenly materializing there in a matter of seconds. In one of his strong hands, he holds my wrist, giving me no semblance of a chance of escape, and in the other, he holds the wrist of his mate. He carefully pulls my wounded arm towards himself, much more gently than the woman had, and begins to lightly flick his tongue along the torn skin of my forearm. I physically stop myself from shivering, remembering the feel of that tongue on the wound on my collarbone. My cheeks are instantly flushed and my breathing becomes so ragged that I nearly lose my balance.

"I see. So, the girl is a masochist." The female demon quietly chuckles. "No wonder you were so curious on how she would react to, 'that'."

My cheeks flush further, and I quickly try to pull away from the male demon's grasp. I push at his hand, trying to somehow get my own fingers underneath his to try and pull my arm free. When that doesn't work, I try pushing either on his chest or his forehead, as if it's a smart idea to anger a demon with such disrespect. Every attempt at escape, obviously frustrates him and his grip becomes tighter and tighter. I close my eyes, biting at my lip to keep the noise in my throat, yet somehow failing. I can hear myself slowly groaning, which seems to excite the demon at my wound, while at the same time my attempts to escape becoming more and more frustrating.

Without a moment's notice, he releases the wrist of his mate, pulling me closer with the hand grasping my wrist and tightly wraps his arm around my waist. He keeps me tightly pinned against his chest while pulling my arm so he can continue lapping at my wound. I feel my stomach start to fill with heat and I carefully press my forehead against his broad chest.

"Pl…Please stop." I whisper weakly, my only free hand gently pushing at the arm at my waist. I don't really want him to stop, but I know that, to him, what he is doing does not mean the same thing to him as it does to me.

Eventually, he seems to become bored, for he stops. With the sudden absence of that delightful little stinging pain of his probing tongue, a shiver runs throughout my entire body.

He leans down, whispering into my ear, "Your blood has become sweeter since I tasted it last." Another shiver runs through my entire body and I can almost feel him smirking. He delicately nuzzles his lips against the side of my head and before I have time to prepare myself, a sweet sharpness erupts against the outer rim of my ear. A quiet moan escapes my throat as the male demon gently bites into my flesh.

"While I do hate to interrupt your fun…" The female demon growls out quietly, "Could you refrain from having your way with another woman in My presence?" She quips, no emotion showing through in her voice. The male demon looks over to her, smirking, but releases me. The moment I'm free, I fall to my knees, though now, it's not because of pain and I can't stop my entire body from trembling.

I feel my eyes quickly flutter to a close and I force my breathing to slow down. I calm down very quickly, my eyes slowly opening to inspect the damage inflicted upon my arm, only to be met with a blank canvas of pale flesh. There isn't even a scar left from the female demon's tremendously sharp claws.

The two demons gazes fall upon the small area, interest quickly filling their eyes. I can almost feel them turn towards one another to share a moment of understanding. They know exactly what's happened to me and how it's going to eventually affect me.

"I wonder…" The male demon contemplates aloud. He carefully kneels behind me, pulling me back against his chest once again, gently pulling my kimono down around my shoulders. With a start, I pull away from him, my hand snapping up to hold the cloth and keep it from falling further. My body forces itself forward, twisting so that I'm sitting, facing the demon with embarrassment and anger quickly filling my features. "Calm down, I merely wanted to see how the wound you received from the sea creature is doing." He chuckles, as if I'm overreacting.

With a stern glare, I slowly glance down to the wound in question. A quick thrill runs through my spine as I remember yet again, just how I had received it, but that thrill quickly becomes cold and my mind starts to race at the sight. What had been a gaping hole in my flesh, was now a pale scar, as if the injury had happened ages ago instead of just hours or days ago.

"Mighty demons… How long has it been since my village was destroyed? Or since I've been here for that matter?" I question them, not quite sure what to expect.

"From the time you received that wound, the sun has set and the moon has taken the same position in the sky." The male demon answers. My stomach quickly drops and I almost fall over once again. My mind races and I continue to stare at the wound, a new terror quickly filling my chest and stomach. What has happened to me, to make my body heal such wounds so quickly?

"Before we go much further, perhaps we should all introduce ourselves. Human, since you are a visitor to our home, why do you not begin?" The female demon gently states, a small smile playing over those magenta lips of hers.

"Oh, of course. My apologies." I quickly answer, bowing my head so low it nearly touches the ground in front of me. "My name is Nakao Tuskie. My father was a fisherman until he was called to the war, my mother worked in the rice fields with my older sister Sora, while my older brother worked with the other fishermen of our village. I was to stay home with the youngest, Umie and Hirota, to care for them. I appreciate the kindness you have shown me by allowing me to stay here as long as I have."

"It is of no consequence." The male demon chuckles, a small tinge of pink quickly appearing on his cheeks, clashing with the indigo of his stripes. "I am known as, Inu no Taisho. You may call me, Inutaisho, if you so wish." He smiles gently, looking to the female demon.

"I am called Inukimi. Do not think to speak too familiarly to me, as my mate offers so freely." She says, proudly. I bow my head to them once again, somehow wrapping my kimono around myself properly once more. "It is strange, though. A fisherman's daughter, reenacting the tale of a fisherman's daughter." The woman chuckles, a slight smirk playing over her lips.

"Inukimi, that's enough. The girl does not need your playful taunts at the moment." The male demon chides, giving his mate a look of immense sternness.

"If she is going to become a part of the world we live in, she must develop a thick skin at the very least. I hold no ill will toward her, but other demons will show her no such kindness." She replies, her face empty of any emotions.

As the two begin to argue, I release a breath that I had no clue I was even holding and begin to look at my surroundings. We are in a rather large room, extravagant in all ways I could ever think of. A grand staircase leads to a pair of large structures, one slightly bigger than the other. The two structures look foreign, four legs each leading to a rather large bit of cloth that seemed like they would be comfortable if you were to rest your head on them. There are guards, all standing still as stone, but I know better, they're more than alive. For some reason, I feel a surge of true awe. Where ever we are, they did not exaggerate. This is a palace of the highest magnitude.

I am so in awe of my surroundings, so distracted by the pure beauty of it, that when a voice, only an octave or two higher in pitch than the male demon's, yet a great deal more smooth, calls out to the two arguing demons, my heart instantly jumps into my throat. The two demons become very quiet, instantly turning towards the voice, while I stay still in utter terror and embarrassment of the fear. "Mother, Father. Why is there a human here?" The voice asks with no emotion to be heard.

"Your father wishes for a new playmate." The female demon coolly replies, instantly bringing heat to my cheeks and a thunderous, instant denial from the male demon. I very slowly turn towards the source of the voice, and then freeze as my breath catches in my throat.

I feel my heart begin to pound much faster than it ever has in my life. The boy in front of me is almost too beautiful for my mind to truly comprehend. He had called the two demons his parents, and I can see both of them in him. His hair is as silver as theirs, but he leaves it down so that it falls easily to his waist, eyes as golden and nearly as emotionless. His features are much more masculine than the female demons', but softer than the male's. There are two maroon stripes on either of his cheeks, his eyes outlined in the same hue of his stripes, and an indigo crescent moon shows proudly on the middle of his forehead, surrounded by strands of hair that are too short to rest with the rest of his flowing locks. He wears armor very similar to his father, only his wrists are free of gauntlets and vambraces. He wears a white hakama, like his father, with some kind of leaf patterned kimono, and a blue sash tied around his waist. Over his right shoulder, a rather long and large, pelt-like thing rests, falling behind him to hover above the ground behind him. His eyes bore into me, which makes my heart race faster. For a few moments, I even forget how to breathe.

One of my hands, balls into a gentle fist and comes to rest in front of my lips. I can feel myself quickly developing some form of feeling for this creature in front of me, despite my knowing that such a being would find something as low as me, purely disgusting.

"What is it, human?" He demands, voice still empty of emotion. His slender eyebrows come together in slight irritation, as if just my presence bothers him. He is staring at me expectantly and I can't help but wonder if I'll be able to answer him without sounding either desperate or winded.

"It…It is nothing. I just can't believe how beautiful you are. All of the demons I've seen so far have been just as lovely as they are frightening." I quietly answer. The boy's eyes widen just a tad and I can almost swear that he starts to blush.

"Even the beast that destroyed your village?" The Dog General inquires. I slowly blink towards him for a few moments, unsure of how to answer.

"That beast…" I begin, one of my hands quickly moving to rest on the side of my head. I feel my own features tighten as I think of a way to answer. "The beast wasn't a demon. At least, it wasn't initially. It was my sister. So many different things happened to my brothers, sisters, and mother when we ate that flesh." I stare sadly at my knees, as if I wasn't telling a story about how my entire life had drastically changed.

"Do you mind telling us?" The female demon asks, her features once again blank with only the slightest hints of interest showing in her eyes and voice.

"Well, no. My brother and I were the first to taste the flesh, but nothing happened. When my little brother and sister ate it, they instantly started reacting. Umie began to cough up blood. Hirota was screaming in pain as he held his throat. My elder sister had fallen forward, groaning in pain, but she was still moving. My mother, though, she just fell over not breathing." I recount, my voice becoming shakier and shakier as I remember trying to help the two children. Nothing I had done helped them. Tears quickly roll down my cheeks as I recall the pain and fear in their wide, young eyes as they clung to me. "I was trying to help the children," A small cough escapes my throat, clearing the quickly forming knot. "I remember telling my brother that the children had stopped breathing, there were a few moments of silence and then the sound of wood shattering. When I looked back, there was a large beast, bigger than even you, Mi'lord, with purple flesh and white hair, bulging eyes. It wore my sister's kimono, so it had to have been her. Then, she brought her hand down… After that, things get a little fuzzy. I suppose I tried to get to safety with the children, but before I could the roof collapsed on top of me."

As I finish the story, there is silence all around. For a moment, I think they've all run off or something, until I look up to see them all still there, staring in varying degrees of interest. The Dog General has little tears in his eyes, as if the story affected him more than it really did, The Dog Ruler has more sympathy than I've seen her show the whole time I've been here, and the as yet unnamed boy, looks indifferent, as if there's no need for him to care about anything I've said, but he is still curious as to why I'm even here in the first place. Something I'm curious about myself.

"Boy, don't be rude to our guest. Introduce yourself!" The general calls out to the boy who must only be a few years older than myself. Though, he is a demon, so he must be older than he looks.

The boy begrudgingly walks over; he makes it seem as if every step closer he takes makes him feel physically ill. Once he has come within a few feet, he gently kneels down next to me; the only visible emotion in his features is boredom. "This one, is called Sesshoumaru." He utters, blandly.

"It is my pleasure to meet you, mi'lord." I carefully turn my body towards him, bowing so low that my forehead nearly touches the ground. Once I bring myself back up, I smile up at him, since he is taller than me, even as we kneel, "My name is Nakao Tsukie."

"Hn." Is his only reply. I carefully let my gaze wander to the ground; after all, it's not my place to stare a nobleman in the face. His left hand is resting upon the ground, and for just a moment, I see the quick flash of a blade.

"My lord, if it isn't too much to ask… May I read your palm?" I quietly ask him, studying the hand I wish to look at. His long slender fingers carefully lead to claws. His claws are long, much longer than my nails, and much sharper.

"Ha! She fancies herself a priestess after all." The female demon chuckles out, most likely trying to insult me, but I am too focused for her words to affect me.

The boy demon in front of me, though, just gives me a look of utter boredom before slowly lifting his hand for me to take. I smile up at him again before carefully taking hold of the appendage in question. His hand is much larger than my own and his fingers are much longer. His flesh is a great deal warmer than mine is, or perhaps I'm still cold from having been dead, but the feeling of his warmth is extremely pleasant, and his flesh is amazingly soft. I delicately cup his hand in one of my own, the other gently tracing along the lines of his palm.

"I see. You have much in your life to be proud of, yet you yearn for more power. But, someday, your pride and the things you yearn for will cost you dearly." I quietly tell him, though I know every creature in the palace has probably heard what I've said.

"Girl, are you a priestess?" The general asks from beside the boy and myself. I shake my head, a small blush making its way into my cheeks.

"I can see things, sometimes. I dare not think myself a priestess, but an unfortunate soul who can see glimpses of things to come. I can not exercise a demon; much less tend to spirits of the dead. But I can soothe the dying and the ill." I reply, staring intently at nothing in particular, until I realize I am still holding the Demon boy's hand. Once I notice that, a strong heat quickly fills my cheeks and I gently release the appendage. He leaves it there for a moment, before bringing it back to his side as if he is completely bored. He probably doesn't even believe what I've said.

"Don't fortune tellers usually read the hand more used?" The female demon chuckles out, saying it in such a way that demeans those who tell the future.

"I suppose. But, I was reading the hand that showed me a flash." I answer her, almost defiantly. I am not bothered by her obvious disgust of me, nor the general's strange interest. I am bothered by that quick flash of light I saw just above the boy demon's elbow. It may not happen any time soon, perhaps not even in this century or the next, but he would lose that arm. I have given him the warning, now all he needs to do is heed it.

"This one is only here out of curiosity. This one knows that father does not usually come to the palace." The demon boy speaks sending a small shiver thrumming down my spine as I stare at the demon boy's knees, my heart racing.

"Honestly, I don't know why I came here with the girl, myself. This just seemed like the safest place." The general answers, looking back and forth between his son and me, a strangely knowing smile playing along his lips. "Inukimi, would you be willing to spare the girl some fresh clothes? It's just cruel to make her stay in those ash-stained clothes."

"I am as cruel as I am generous. Come, human." The woman stands in so graceful a motion that I sit there for a moment, stunned by her beauty. Quickly and clumsily getting to my feet, I begin to follow her. I stare at the fuzzy pelt at her shoulders leading down to one at her feet connected to a lovely navy cloth. For a moment, I wonder how I hadn't seen the beautiful cloth before. As we come to a small entrance way, I dare to look back towards the two males. The general has wrapped one of his large arms around the boy's shoulders and the boys cheeks have turned a light shade of pink.

A small smile plays over my lips. "Cute" I quietly chuckle before turning my attention back to make sure I don't step upon the woman's lovely coat.

"My husband or my son?" The woman in front of me inquires, not even turning to glance back at me. I can almost hear the resentment in her voice.

"Their interaction. It kind of reminds me of how my father was with my brother." I answer her, small tears clouding my eyes.

"Do you know if your father is alive?" She asks gently, as if she thinks I'm too fragile to give her an answer.

"He's not. His regiment was completely wiped out by a grand moth demon. I believe it's been almost an entire cycle of the moons since." I smile sadly, my hands squeezing at one another in front of me.

For a good while, we walk in silence. I almost wish she'll talk, just to distract me from the thoughts that are quickly filling my mind. It's so quiet around us that I can hear the thumping of my own heart. It fills the silence with a strange rhythm, to which I quietly begin to hum. I become so engrossed in the melody that I am humming I don't notice that we enter a large room filled with steam and several hand maidens.

All of a sudden, the female demon's voice booms throughout the room, silencing the quiet whispers that I had barely heard as we entered. "Clean the girl. I shall go pick suitable clothes for you to dress her in."

The hand maidens, all dressed in elegant robes, and myself quiet down in an instant, looking at the demon as if she has lost her mind. The hand maidens though quickly get to work and begin to surround me, as if ganging up on some form of prey that has no clue how unlucky they are.

It takes them all of three seconds to have me completely undressed and thrown to the ground. I stare at them in terror and begin screaming for mercy, only to be met with diabolical laughs as they all start to scrub at my ash-layered flesh.

"It's alright, human. We won't eat you." The most elegantly dressed practically purrs in my ear. They have me sitting down on the side of what looks like a large, steaming lake. There are two female demons gently scrubbing at the soot on my arms while one gently presses a warm cloth against my back.

"I can clean myself." I quietly mumble, attempting to pull my arms free of the demon hand maiden's grasps.

"We're sure that you can, but we have our orders." The one behind me chuckles, gently moving to my shoulders, then around my torso to scrub at my stomach. I wriggle from side to side, trying not to laugh as her hands carefully moved over the flesh of my belly.

The two women who were scrubbing at my arms smile deviously before moving to my legs, tugging them out from under me, and scrubbing at the bottom of my feet.

It doesn't take them long to clean me from head to toe and by the time they finish, I can do little more than lay there, shaking from the effort it had taken to not laugh my head off.

The woman most elegantly dressed carefully picks me up, smiling down at me as if nothing is wrong, and slowly dips me into the steaming water. The moment my body is almost completely immersed in the warm liquid, I easily relax, the back of my head resting against the ground outside of the water. They've pulled my hair so that it fans out around me on the ground. They're gently running combs through it.

"Your hair is rather long. It's also quite beautiful." One of them giggles, her claws gently shifting through my locks.

"You're being too kind. Personally, I find all of the demon maidens' hair to be much lovelier than my own." I chuckle back at the younger looking demon.

"I heard a rumor that both Lord Inutaisho and Lord Sesshoumaru came to the palace today," one of the women chuckles, making the other women chuckle and swoon at the same time.

"Oh, how wonderful would it be to get Lord Sesshoumaru's attentions?" One sighs, a far off look in her eyes.

"He is very handsome, for a pup. I prefer his Lord Father, though. Lady Inukimi is so lucky to have become his mate." Another giggles.

I listen to them quietly, curious. For a moment, I remember that creature I had seen, the one that had left a mark on my collarbone. One of my hands slowly wanders to the scar, absently stroking the strange wound. It had been a gaping wound just hours ago, now it looks and feels like an old scar. I'm kind of curious what it means to be a mate. Is it the same as being a wife?

"Human, tell us! Who is it you are mated to?" One of the young female demons questions, having seen me play with the wound. I look up at her for a moment, not entirely sure how to answer her question.

"I'm not mated to anyone, I'm not even sure I know what it means to be one's mate. I trespassed in the Sea Beast's garden. A demon the color of the sea was going to eat me, but Lord Inutaisho rescued me. The demon just took a bite, that's all. He wasn't mating with me." I answer her, a small nervous smile playing across my lips.

"He probably would have mated you, had the generous lord not stepped in." The elder of the hand maidens chuckled, bringing a blush to my cheeks.

For a moment, my sisters concerned gaze flashes through my mind. Had she known what the placement of the wound had meant? Was that why she had forbidden me from speaking of it to anyone else in the village? I suppose it doesn't matter anymore.

"Come, young human. We need to dress you before Her Ladyship becomes impatient." The most elegantly dressed demon woman commands, as if I'm one of her subordinates.

"Please, call me Tsukie." I tell her, carefully climbing out of the warm water.

"As you wish, Tsukie." She smiles at me, wrapping a plain white robe around my shoulders. I hold the soft fabric around my form as she slowly begins to lead me to an archway that the female demon had left through.

The room we enter is as extravagant as every other I've seen. The room is practically full of boxes and boxes of kimono. I look about in amazement, there's no way any one person could ever need this many kimono, not even a princess.

"Her Ladyship has excellent taste in clothes. I'm quite excited to see what she has chosen for you to wear." The young demoness beside me explains. I look at her for a moment, her hair is silver and her eyes gold, but her markings are very different from the General, his son, and the woman who calls him her mate.

"If I may ask, is every demon in this castle a dog demon?" I inquire of her, curiosity finally winning over my manners.

"Hm? Most of us, yes. There are some cats and imps; I believe there's even a fox or two." She answers, smiling kindly as if she enjoys my curiosity.

"I see. That's amazing. How many kinds of demons are there? All I know of demons is only what I've heard." I smile gently. I actually really like this female demon. Perhaps she and I can be really good friends.

"There are all kinds. It takes a long time to learn of all the kinds." She chuckles, moving towards the center of the room where a few boxes have been placed. I slowly follow her, carefully pulling my arms into the arms of the robe.

"That's far too many. I would be fine with my other clothes." I kneel down next to her, pulling my hair over my shoulder to slowly run my fingers through it.

"Her Ladyship has decided that you shall wear these, so you will." She chuckles, slowly reaching over to pull my hands away from my hair. "Do you mind if I ask what you've done to earn her respect?"

"I don't think its respect. She just wants me gone as fast as possible." I chuckle, carefully placing my hands on my lap.

"She seemed to like you. Let's get you dressed." She smiles, opening the first box. I look inside of the box to see a beautiful kimono. It's a beautiful shade of red, there's no real pattern to it, but it's still one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Then the demoness hand maiden opens the next box, and there's another beautiful kimono, this one is a blue green hue that reminds me of my brothers' eyes.

The demoness looks from the two beautiful pieces of cloth, to me and back, a small smile playing across her lips. She easily stands, pulling me to my feet, and dresses me faster than I've ever been dressed by another person. The red kimono is wrapped securely around my figure and the ocean-hued one hangs slightly off of my shoulders, yet somehow that's as far as it will go. I look closely at one of the sleeves, looking for the pattern, only to stop and smile. There are little moons on the cloth.

"Simply beautiful. These colors really bring out your beauty." The hand maiden smiles, gently taking my hand to pull me along to the next room, where she gently sits me down in front of a tiny desk with a small mirror case. The woman sits next to me, gently pulling a small lock of hair to the side, where she begins to twist it into a small, intricate looking design with small hearts. She must see my intrigue because she smiles and says, "This is called a braid."

As soon as the braid is finished, she moves behind me, gently combing my hair once again. The demoness leaves the small braid down, while pulling the rest of my hair back into two small pigtails, though there were a lot of strands that fell around my forehead. She twists a small lock of hair from each ponytail into a small hoop around the rest of the hair, that somehow defies gravity. Then she moves me to face her where she pulls out a small pale shell. When she opens it, there is a red liquid inside of it, which she gently swipes onto my lips with her pinky.

"Close your eyes for me, Tsukie." She smiles at me, and she gently rubs something on my eye lids as soon as I close them. Since my eyes are closed, I don't see what she does to make my hair feel so much tighter. There's a sound behind me, like the opening of a small case. "All right, open your eyes."

I turn towards her voice, only to be met with the image of a beautiful girl. Her cheeks are very thin, but other than that, she's gorgeous. Her hair looks like mine and her eyes are the same color as my brothers. There's a small golden hair bauble with long strands of colorful beads dangling from it. "Is this me?" I ask her, leaning forward to stare at myself.

"It is. The eye shadow really brings out the color of your eyes. Now, I must take you to Her Ladyship." She smiles gently, pulling me to my feet. She begins walking through a door that is hidden behind beautiful strips of cloth. I slowly follow her, my hands moving to play with the long braid that ends just under my breast.

"Excuse me, could you tell me your name?" I ask the hand maiden, chewing at the inside of my cheek.

"It's Inujijou." She answers, a small chuckle playing in her voice. "Now, please refrain from playing with braid."

I feel a small smile play along my lips, my hands gently falling to press my fingertips against my thighs as I walk. I don't know what to expect as we walk in silence, but for some reason I feel at great ease. At least, that is until I hear the loud yells echoing down the corridor.

"This one refuses! The human may be lovely, but she is still only human." The voice of the boy demon shouts.

"Oh, my. The young master thinks you're lovely. I wonder what it is they're speaking of." The woman in front of me chuckles. I feel a blush quickly spread across my features.

The two of us quickly come to the entrance to what must be the large throne room. There are voices coming through the silky strips of cloth that separate the next room and the hallway.

"If you don't want her, I'll gladly take her." The deep voice of the Dog General chuckles from beyond the veil of cloth.

"Father, you cannot have another new plaything. Besides, she's nothing but a human." The boy shouts angrily.

"If you are so opposed to your father having her, then why do you not take her for yourself? She is more than beautiful enough. You don't have to make her your mate, perhaps just a concubine." The Dog Ruler gently suggests.

"Even you, mother?" He lets out an exasperated sigh.

"Excuse us, mi'lords and lady." The hand maiden speaks, slowly pulling the silk curtains aside to usher the two of us into the room. The three royal demons are silent and I dare to look up to see their reactions. The female demon from when I first awoke, is giving me a proud smile, as if she is admiring a piece of artwork she has created. The General and his son are both staring at me in awe.

The general is smiling deviously, as if he's remembering something beautiful. His eyes are filled with heat, which brings heat to my cheeks. My mind instantly flashes to the moments the demon dog general had licked my wounds, and just the memory leaves me nearly breathless.

I turn my gaze to the demon boy, my heart already racing. He is looking at me, eyes wide. I feel my heart start to race faster. I slowly walk over to the small family of dog demon royalty. The closer I get, the more I see that the boy demon is not only staring, but a small blush is playing over his cheeks.

"My son, I should tell you. The girl isn't really human anymore. Humans can't die and return to life, after all. Much less heal tremendous wounds like they were nothing." The female demon smiles deviously, quickly grabbing the arm she had clawed earlier, pushing the sleeves of the kimono up to my elbow, showing my unmarred arm. There's not even a scar.

"Mother, what are you talking about? This one will admit that she doesn't smell like other humans, but she is still just a human." He looks at her skeptically, his arms defiantly crossing across his chest.

The female demon smirks and before anyone can react, her claws quickly rip through my flesh, yet again. "You will see, boy."

I yelp in pain, falling to my knees while carefully pulling the sleeve of the kimono further up my arm so that no blood will fall on the beautiful cloth.

"Damn it, Inukimi! Whether or not she heals quickly, there is no reason to keep cutting her open!" The dog general shouts, quickly moving to my side to hold my arm out for me, which helps keep the blood from dripping where I don't want it to.

"Indeed, a useless display. Now the girl will be scarred and no man will want her." The boy demon chuckles cruelly. "Except, perhaps father."

"Sesshoumaru, that is not funny." The female demon gives him a look, her eyes full of fury.

"It really isn't. Sesshoumaru, lick her wound clean." The general demands of his son and I can feel my entire face turning bright red.

"Honestly…" The boy demon stares dully at the two before kneeling down next to me for the second time in the last couple of hours. As I had done earlier, he gently grasps at my wrist, his grip so soft I almost can't tell he's actually holding it, and pulls it towards himself, and once my arm is fully extended, he begins to gently drags his tongue along my arm, cleaning the blood away from my flesh.

"N…No!" I quietly whisper, trying to pull away from the boy demon that looks to be about my age, only for him to quickly pull me in against his chest. The way he pulls me in has my cheek and free hand pressed against his chest. My legs have moved to try and keep my balance, but I don't quite like the feel of how I've landed. It feels like one of his legs is in between mine and it's rather wide. He pins me there with his strong right arm wrapped around my waist, while his left holds my wrist above him, his tongue gently moving along the wounds that his mother has made. The heat I had felt earlier quickly flares back into my stomach, leaving me panting against the teenaged demon's chest. A small tear quickly falls down my cheek, and I have to fight to keep the moans from escaping my throat. Maybe I am a masochist, if a demon licking a wound feels this good. The hand I have pressed to his chest slips as I try to push away from him and ends up pressing against the pelt that rests over his shoulder. For the shortest moment, I'm mesmerized by how soft it is, and I can't stop myself from gently stroking it.

As my fingers press against the strangely warm pelt, a deep groan echoes within the chest of the demon holding me in place. I press myself close, using the body in front of me to keep from falling, and as I relax against him, he suddenly nips at my wrist, causing a quiet groan to vibrate through my throat.

"See, he does like her." A deep voice chuckles from a few feet away.

The both of us freeze, and then quickly pull apart from one another. The two of us are facing completely opposite directions, so I can't see what he's doing, but I can feel my heart racing and my cheeks burning.

"This one doesn't. Her blood merely confused me for a moment." The young lord growls at his parents.

"Did you not notice that the wounds disappeared as you went along them?" His father questions, a smirk practically plastered on his face.

The young demon quickly pulled my arm back, tugging me backwards onto my bottom. His grip is extremely tight, bringing a small whimper from my throat, he quickly pushes the sleeve back up my arm, and looks at the yet again, unmarred flesh of my arm.

"Hn." He quietly remarks.

"If you want to know, she's eaten the flesh of a Mermaid and survived. She will be living for a very long time." The dog ruler easily explains, though her words stop me for a moment.

"Mermaid flesh?" I quietly whisper. "Like Yao Bikuni?" I look at her until she nods. I suppose it makes plenty of sense, though.

"So, she'll live as long as she wishes. That doesn't make her mate material." He retorts, coldly.

"No, her natural grace, beauty, and kind-spirit make her good material to be a mate." The general states, matter-of-factly. He smiles, looking at me for a moment before turning his attention to his son. "Admit it; you haven't been able to take your eyes off the girl since you've met her."

"I just don't understand why there's a human here." The young male grumbles, looking off to the side as the slightest blush plays over his features.

"If it's alright, I'd like to change back into my normal kimono and go back to my village. Someone has to bury the dead. I appreciate what you've done, but all of this is far too extravagant for me." I speak carefully, a gentle heat climbing up my neck.

"Keep the kimono, girl. They suit you quite well." The ruler chuckles, looking me over nearly approvingly, then glares towards her mate. "You shall take her back to her village, since you are the one that brought her here." She growls threateningly.

"There's no need for that I'm sure that I can make it home on my own." I chuckle, trying not to laugh at just how cute the two are, together.

"It will take you weeks to get to your village, should you travel as a human does. I am, after all, rather amazing." The general chuckles, closing his eyes and smiling proudly while smacking his chest with one of his large fists.

I blink up at him, confusion quickly filling my mind. "But, you said it had only been half a full day since you found me dead." I start, one of my hands lifting to press my index finger against my lips.

"And it has been. I am not human; so, I can travel a lot faster than any human can." His grin widens, showing off one of his rather large fangs.

"Oh." Now that I think about it that makes quite a bit of sense.

"Do not worry, little one. I will return you to your village. Though, I don't expect you'll like what you see." He smiles sweetly, holding his hand out to me.

"Ah, M'lord!" The elder hand maiden came running towards the male, a small bundle of cloth in her arms. "Her clothes." She bows respectfully, holding the bundle out to the elder male demon.

"Thank you. Now…" The elder demon chuckles, picking me up, his arm around my waist the only thing keeping me from falling. I dangle in his grasp, my entire body just hanging there as if I will fall at any second. Staring at the ground and his iron-clad feet, I can feel a look of utter shock taking over my features. "Let's get you home!" He smirks, taking off at a run that is beyond impossible for humans, my own arms moving to grip at the strong arm holding me in place.

My eyes close tightly as wind quickly whips at my face. One of my hands shoots to hold onto the ornament the hand maiden had placed in my hair to keep it from falling, but the rest of her hard work has already fallen, all but the small braid beside my cheek.

Stomach churning, I carefully cling to the arm around my waist. We've actually stopped moving and the smell of burnt woods and flesh quickly fills my senses. The arm around my waist slowly moves so that my body is pressed gently against the body of its owner, despite the cold of his armor and the points of his pauldron.

"It's alright, child. No one your age should have to live through such a disaster. Though, perhaps, someday this shall make you a stronger woman." He whispers quietly to me, his words as gentle as his hand upon my back.

"If I have truly become like the Yao Bikuni, then will I someday end as she did?" I whisper, small tears quickly filling my eyes, perhaps from a mixture of the acrid air, memories, and the small traces of pain still throughout my body. I remember the pain as my skull was cracked to nearly pieces, and the feel of wood smashing onto my back, splinters filling my skin.

"As long as you wish to live, then no. Personally, I hope you live a life so long that you find multiple loves. Have many children." He chuckles, the vibrations of his voice playing against the flesh of my cheek through the metal of his armor.

"You are quite possibly one of the goofiest men I've ever known. And that is saying something, if only you had met my brother." I giggle, my hands coming up to gently wipe the tears away.

I smile up at the male demon, slowly holding my hand out to give him the small golden trinket with various colorful beads that had been placed into my hair. "I believe this is your Lady Wifes'?"

The male looks down at the trinket, then to my face then back. Within moments, he begins to laugh nearly hysterically. "My wife's, you say? I have no wife. I have a mate. And, if I am not mistaken, she said to keep it. She has many like this." He slowly calms down, moving behind me while taking the small trinket from my grasp. His hands quickly begin to gather my hair, leaving the small braid out of his grasp, his fingertips gently running along my scalp in a manner that feels much more intimate than it is. I don't know what he does, but he gently twists a small section of hair and somehow secures it tightly with the small trinket. Somehow, it feels like he's put my hair in one giant ponytail.

A smile plays across my lips, and I can't stop the small chuckle that escapes. "I see. She kind of reminded me of my mother, with the way she would lovingly boss my father around." I begin to let my gaze wander over what was once a most lovely forest next to a beautiful sandy beach and ocean. It is no longer the tree-filled home I once knew. The mighty demon and myself are standing in what was the market place. The sky is dark, but the moon illuminates the wreckage. There are bodies everywhere. Men, women, children. Homes lay in ruin and trees are burned to nearly complete ash. "Thank you, Great demon Lord. For saving my corpse and taking care of me as I returned to life." I whisper, a small, sad smile quickly taking over my features.

"It is of no consequence. Just promise me one thing." He smiles down at me, one of his large hands coming to rest on top of my head. "That any and every time you and my son meet, you show him kindness, compassion, and perhaps even love. I smelled your desire for him." He chuckles, leaning in, his teeth lightly digging into the flesh of my ear. "He is indeed very full of pride. He will deny you if he thinks you're of a lower station, but do not let that hinder you. I am sure that someday, your love will reach him." He chuckles, quickly pulling back to see my entire face become a dark red. "I hope to be around to see that."

For a moment, my heart skips a beat and a strange image takes over my vision.

I'm on a snow white beach; salt fills the air, as does the scent of blood and flames. I quickly run to find the Dog demon General and his son. The boy holds an even stronger air of pride and anger than he had before and the General holds a great deal more kindness, a smile plays over his lips and blood pours from many wounds upon his person.

"Sesshoumaru… Is there someone you wish to protect?" He asks.

The question seems to anger the boy demon. "Protecting others is a waste of power and makes you weak." He answers.

The general of dogs still smiles, though there is now a great sadness to it. Within moments, he becomes a grand dog of white fur, bigger than any tree I have ever seen and runs off, leaving a large trail of blood.

My mind quickly clears, and there are tears falling down my cheeks. Two strong hands hold my shoulders, keeping me from falling into the ashes of my decimated village. I can still see the blood, but I know that it's not there. My heart races and suddenly, all I want to do, is keep this demon safe.

"I'm sorry." I whisper, slowly pulling away and lifting the hem of the expensive cloth that hangs onto my body so it will not become dirtied further by the soil now being given nutrition through ashes. "I'll be all right, you should get back to your palace, or perhaps you would like to wander once again?"

"You may not wish to call yourself one, but I think you truly are a priestess." The demon smirks, as if weighing his options.

I hum quietly, turning towards the north, where I know that the river is, because there are no longer trees or structures hiding it. A calm wind slowly blows through the remnants of my home and I can feel warmth unrelated to flames wrapping around me.

"After all, no normal girl could calm the pain of these spirits so easily." He whispers, a gentle smile once again taking over his features.

"Thank you, again, for your kindness, My Lord. I wish for your happiness and well-being." I call out to him, spinning in a small circle to bow to him before running off towards the river.

Before I'm out of hearing range, the voice of a woman calls out to the demon, saying something along the lines of being amazed that a demon would show a human such kindness.

I slowly step into the river, a sad smile playing across my face once again. I slowly pull the expensive clothes from my lithe form, sitting upon the small shore. I carefully fold the fragile cloth, placing it on my naked thighs. I pull the small bundle of my true clothes next to me, replacing them within the small cloth bag. I easily pull my plain clothes back onto my lithe build, a small sigh of relief escaping my lips as I sit along the small riverbank.

"I did warn you, girl." A familiar voice calls from across the river. I lift my head, blinking away some of the tears that seem never ending, to spot the sea green demon. "You must have very little regard for your own safety. I will admit, I do enjoy that you've prettied yourself up a tad for me."

My heart stops for a moment, only to quickly start back up, and I calm down and look away from him. I hear splashing and I already know, he's making his way across the river to make good upon his threat from earlier. "Well, you did mark me for your mate," I chuckle, slowly pulling the hem of my kimono to fall down my shoulder, revealing the no longer wound, but old scar.

He stops, merely a foot away from me, surprise playing within his strangely beautiful features. "You are human, how can you have healed that wound so quickly?"

A sad smile plays across my face once again. "I died this evening." I state simply, looking back towards the remnants of my home and people.

"But, now… I am alive."


	3. Chapter 3: The Urge of the Sea Beast

"Is that so?" The sea creature asks, closing the small gap between the two of us. His hand comes up to cup my chin so softly; I almost don't believe he's the same beast from before. "Your eyes are much sadder than they were. What has left them so empty?" He whispers, slowly leaning in, pressing his lips against my cheek in an almost comforting way.

"You were going to kill me the moment you first saw me. Why show concern for my well-being now?" I whisper indignantly, turning my face further away from him.

Before I know what's happening, I'm suddenly pinned to the ground, the demon kneeling over me with one of his legs between my own, sending a sensory memory coursing through my body, his head is bowed down to my neck, where he gently presses the length of his tongue along my flesh, forcing a shiver through my entire body. "You are now my mate." He whispers against my flesh, one of his hands moving to rest lightly on my stomach, his long delicate fingers sliding within my kimono. "Your wellness is now one of my greatest concerns."

"Stop…" I can barely whisper, my hands move to push at his shoulders, but the demon is still a great deal stronger than I am, and he carefully grips my left wrist pinning it to the ground as he slowly begins to kiss his way up my neck.

"I cannot. With my mark upon you, my ability to restrain myself is almost non-existent." He whispers, his teeth pressing in against the flesh at my jaw.

"You heard the girl, demon!" Another familiar voice shouts, the demon reacts quickly, lifting his body up to stare at the voice calling out to him. Though, perhaps he shouldn't have, because as soon as he looks up, a rather large log is smashed against his face.

The demon lets out a long hiss of anger, jumping away from me and landing clear across the river, almost like nothing had happened at all. "You are my mate now, girl! Do not think this is the last you shall see of me. No matter how faded that scar becomes, you are mine!" He calls out, his eyes full of heat and longing as he looks directly at me.

I carefully sit up, quickly pulling my clothes back into place, my entire face a bright red as a strange sort of embarrassment quickly fills my stomach and chest.

"Are you alright, Miss? That demon's been coming here for hours now, looking for something." The male sighs in exasperation. His movements are loud as he wipes something from his brow, most likely sweat. "I'm just glad that I got that kind demon to take my little sister's body away from here, that demon would have probably gobbled her up."

This man is odd. I slowly turn to face him, then stop, frozen by the sight in front of me. "Shun?" I quietly whisper, shock and wonder quickly bubbling from within my chest to fill my face. "You're still alive? I thought that crash through the wall killed you!" I quickly jump from the edge of the water, wrapping my arms around my twin brother as tightly as I can, tears of happiness quickly coming to the corners of my eyes.

"I'm sorry?" The boy carefully places his hands on my shoulders, gently pushing me an arm's length away from him. "Young miss, I don't know how you know my name or what happened earlier before the village went up in smoke, but you should be careful around here." He smiles, his hand slowly coming to rest on top of my head to slowly slide down along my hair.

My eyes widen and for a moment, my cheeks turning bright pink. "Shun, that's not funny."

"What's not funny? Young Miss, I don't know what you're talking about. Though, I won't lie, you do look familiar." He chuckles, continuing to stroke my hair.

"I'm only wearing makeup, how can that make it so difficult to see? Dear brother, is your memory damaged from hitting your head on a wall? That seems foolish, though, since my skull was completely cracked!" I smack his hand away from my head, a small pout quickly forming on my lips.

"You can't possibly be my sister; you look too healthy and pretty." He says in a tone that has far too much amusement for the situation.

"She is your sister, boy." The demon has somehow gotten only a few feet away, his eyes focusing on my collarbone. "The two of you ate mermaid flesh. Any inherent abilities you had are strangely enhanced, not to mention you can seemingly feed yourselves with more than just food, which explains your sister's filling out. She was indeed; quite skeletal when I saw her last, but now her body seems like that of any young woman who properly cares for her health." The demon purrs, the slightest undertone of sexual tension practically oozing from his entire being.

"What did I say, demon!? Leave!" My brother practically shrieks at the creature that seems to only have eyes for me.

"Boy, the girl is mine. She may be your flesh and blood, but her body will belong to me." He purrs in a deep voice as he lowers his lids, staring intently at me. "She bares my mark, after all."

"First off, if she's my sister, there's no way she could bare your mark, because my sister would never put herself in such a position. She's such a good girl; it almost hurts to just talk to her."

"My, that's quite different from the girl I met who wandered into my garden to steal some herbs." The demon smirks, easily looking past the male in front of me to stare coldly into my soul.

"Herbs?" Shun stops, something quickly clicking into his mind. "Tsukie did have a small basket of herbs I don't remember her explaining…" His eyes seem to empty of emotion.

"I just wanted to bring flavor into our meal. If it made everyone happy, I wouldn't mind breaking a rule or two and suffering the consequences." I whisper quietly, my left hand quickly coming to rest on the scar upon my left collarbone.

"I suppose, she isn't the only one to blame. What she did, honestly, probably had no effect on anyone else in the village. I brought that strange meat into the house." Shun whispers, his shoulders sagging as he slowly turns to look at me. "I'm sorry, Tsukie. I just wanted us to have enough food for you to have some as well, so you wouldn't starve. I couldn't imagine living without you, but my selfishness has cost us not only our family, but our village as well."

"It's alright, Shun. It will probably hurt for a long time, but we have the time now that the pain will likely fade long before we die." I reach over, resting my hand on his shoulder.

"Indeed. Now, come to me girl. You are making this much more difficult than it needs to be. I know you feel it as well; I can smell you all the way from over here. Which means that damned dog will smell you if we do not get this over with quickly." The demon growls, desire quickly filling his eyes.

"What's he talking about, Tsukie?" Shun looks at me, suspicion filling his features.

I slowly pull my kimono open just a smidge to show the scar. "He marked me when I stole the herbs." I whisper, my hands squeezing tightly at my elbows.

"That mark is making her body react like a she-demon in heat. Any male demon within a close enough distance is probably feeling the effect her delightful scent." The demon explains, taking a few questioning steps closer, as if testing just how close he can get.

"Indeed it is. And if that delightful little body of hers isn't mounted soon, who knows just how bad it will get." Yet another voice calls from behind the small group, sending a shiver down my back as I remember just how close that voice has gotten to my ear. "Who knows if she'll survive, though?"

"You damned dog! This is your fault for keeping me from just eating her." The sea creature shouts at the Dog General, his arms tightly wrapped around himself as he slowly steps even closer, his eyes staring intently at my bared shoulder.

"When I see a lovely young maiden in danger, I simply can't stand by as a beast tries to ravage her delicate flesh. I was barely even able to control myself as I cleaned the wound you made upon her fragile flesh." The General retorts, taking a few steps closer himself.

"You… Cleaned her wound?" The sea beast glares at the demon dog, suddenly moving so quickly, there's not a person in the world who could keep track of him, at least no human.

It takes a matter of seconds, and my arms are held tightly behind my back and a large, masculine hand is suddenly pressing against my neck, keeping me in place. "Another man's tongue has defiled you… I must cleanse you…" The deep voice purrs, teeth pressing against the flesh of my ear.

Then, with less warning than the Sea Beast's movements, both the demon and myself are sent flying, a flash of silver fur and hair invading my field of vision. Seconds later, we are completely submerged in cold water.

"Leave it to a foolish Dog to attack a water demon in water." The demon behind me sighs, snapping his fingers and transporting the three of us to a magnificent palace, where somehow, it's possible for us creatures of land to breathe. "You're just lucky there are no Ningyo nearby." The demon growls, tightly grasping my hand as he pulls me along with his graceful swimming and the General holds onto my waist for dear life.

"You did not mount the girl; therefore she is not your mate!" The dog called from my waist, somehow slowly pulling himself up my body as gently as he can.

"If you would quit interfering, it would be done by now!" The nearly camouflaged demon calls back, anger quickly filling his voice.

Without any warning, the General of dogs' hands roughly land upon my breasts, bringing a rather loud moan from my throat. "You don't even know what her body enjoys!" He screams, one of his legs carefully pressing between my own and pressing up against one of the most sensitive spots of my body. He presses his lips against the nape of my neck, and then gently sinks his teeth deep into my flesh.

We come to a screeching halt in some kind of amazing throne room. I barely have time to look around as the Dog quickly begins to suckle at the flesh of my neck, his tongue slowly moving in tiny circles along the small wound he's made.

A moan easily escapes my throat and I push against the hands that are holding me in place. "Please, Mi'lord, please don't do this…"

"What have you done, you damn dog!" The Sea Creature shouts, tearing the demonic dog away from my back, carefully pulling the two of us apart while keeping a gentle hold upon my upper arm.

"She doesn't even know your name, Sea Cucumber." The demon general shouts, tightly grabbing at my other upper arm. I look back and forth between the two demons, before I look to the sea demon curiously.

"If she wishes to know, I'll tell her." He smiles gently, his eyes the kindest I've ever seen, considering I had just met him less than a day ago.

"I do want to know your name. But, I'd also like to know why you seem to be so interested in taking me as your mate." I look from the green haired demon to the silver haired demon. "I want to know why you're both acting like spoiled little children. Children with frightfully adult tastes, but still children."

"For the first answer I owe you. Umi no Yami. Call me what you wish." His kind smile broadens, becoming almost heart meltingly beautiful, much like the ocean in a deceiving moment of peace. "I originally planned on just eating you for trespassing in my garden, but then I couldn't stop myself from wanting you. The small taste I had of your delightful flesh…" He whispers, pulling me closer, burying his face against my neck. The demon's tongue flicking against the flesh of my neck. "It's simply, intoxicating. "

"And I'm sure that it's got nothing to do with your need to mate? The girl was merely a trespasser, then became a way to relieve stress, but then you couldn't achieve what you needed, and she became an object of obsession, simply because of the mark you left upon her collarbone." The pale demon called, his arms crossing across his chest, somehow making his muscles look even bigger.

"What's your excuse, Dog? You've already mated. What could you possibly want from a human girl like her?" The dark creature of the sea shouts, hugging me tightly against his broad chest, my cheeks darken as the scent of the ocean fills my senses.

"I find her adorable. Though, I would prefer she become my son's mate. The way they reacted to one another was truly a sight to behold. But, if I need to play with the girl a bit to get her ready for my son until he is ready to accept her as his bride, then I will do so gladly." The demon chuckles, no apparent care in the world.

"You've challenged my mark, you damned dog. Do you not know what that means for her?" The demon holding me to his chest glares at the general, a grimace playing across his features. "It will be agony for her if you or I take her. Pure agony." His arm quickly shot out, sending what looked like a blade towards the Dog.

"We can always take her at the same time." The Dog's eyes narrow, an intense heat filling those golden eyes of his, bringing a little squeal of terror from the pit of my stomach.

"Lord Umino?" I shiver in the beast's arms, hands pushing against his chest as if I can get away from the creatures.

"That would probably kill the poor girl." He glares at the dog, as if he couldn't believe a single thing he had heard from the man.

"Perhaps, but it would solve the little issue we're having. Not to mention, if she does die, she will probably just come back to life. After all, she is basically Yao Bikuni." Inutaisho chuckles, the smile upon his face unnerving as he looks at me like a piece of meat.

"You do know, that the woman in that story died, the only reason she lived so long was because of her peaceful lifestyle." He stares incredulously at the male demon, his hand slowly moving along my back in as comforting a way as he can manage, considering the fact that he's a monster.

"She's already come back to life once. Who's to say she won't again?" The silver haired beast slowly let his eyes wander to the tiny form in the other male's arms. A shiver runs up along my spine at the feel of his gaze.

I continue trying to pull away from the arms that hold me captive, while at the same time trying to avoid the gaze of the demon. My own gaze turns up towards the beast that is holding me still. He is staring down at me with that same heat in his eyes as the demon that is only a few paces away.

"This… Is probably going to hurt. A lot." The Demon purrs, quickly capturing my lips in the softest kiss that this demon has placed upon my lips. I blink up at him, my breath quickly catching in my chest as another set of hands suddenly presses against my sides, a second set of lips pressing against the nape of my neck.

"If you beg properly, we'll do our best to make sure it feels as good as possible instead of painful. Not that you would mind, considering how you feel about pain." The demon at my neck whispers against my ear, lightly grazing his fangs against my flesh.

Their claws pressed in against my flesh, fangs digging. Something inside of me shivers as I look from one of the demons to the other, my hands moving to push at the hands that are suddenly holding onto me. Long, green hair and silver hair wrap around me, making it difficult to fight against their hold. I tilt my head back, watching my darker locks mingle with the two strange hues, and small tears quickly come to the corners of my eyes.

Without any warning, my obi comes undone, floating away in the current while my kimono begins to gape open for the two men to see. With wide eyes, I watch the two males look at each other, a strange understanding filling their eyes as they fight to untie their own clothes. With the fraction of a second I find freedom, I quickly start to swim away. As I'm swimming, I let my eyes wander and take in the beauty of the room we're in. The room is rather beautiful, decorated in shells, strange fish, and coral. It's absolutely beautiful, but now is no time to enjoy décor. With as much courage as I can muster, I look back to see that they have gotten their armor, kimono, and nearly any accessories off of themselves. My breath catches in my chest at the sight of the two magnificently beautiful demons clad in only their hakama. I won't lie, the sight is so enjoyable I almost contemplate letting them catch me.

The two of them look to one another, a strange smile passing from one to the other as if they are communicating without talking. It's not a demonic thing, but a gaze that two men of the same mindset share when lust takes over and clouds their judgement. The two males turn towards me, kneeling down to the floor of the room before kicking off towards me.

My eyes go the widest they've ever gone in my life. Kicking my legs as quickly as possible; I try to get out of the way of the two oncoming demons, the fear in my stomach forcing a small yelp from my lips.

As I try to swim away, a large hand wraps tightly around my ankle, another around one of my wrists. In the time it takes me to shout out in terror, again, I am once again trapped by the two demons. The creature of the sea pulled me in against his bare chest, his lips pressing gently to the back of my neck while one of his hands move to rest on my bare stomach. My eyes close tightly, back arching to press against the hand on my stomach, which is soon joined by another hand. The sensation on my stomach almost distracts me from the sensation of soft flesh pressing against my calf.

"Gods of the seven hells, your flesh is so soft.." Two voices call out, one mumbling against my neck while the other speaks from my knees, his large and strong hands slowly stroking along the outside of my thighs, claws lightly and slowly dragging along my flesh, leaving small lines of red.

"Please, don't do this." I whisper quietly. They'll hear it with no problem, but whether or not they release me is to be seen. The sensation of their claws and fangs against my flesh, quickly became too much for me to bare and everything went black.


End file.
